PW's Year of Beer: Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA

We love beer. That's why we're devoting an entire year to discovering (and drinking) cold ones from near and far. Know of a beer worth shouting out? Send us a note at tips@philadelphiaweekly.com.

Here in the U.S., when we say a beer is bitter it’s probably because it’s going to scrub your mouth clean of every other taste and sensation. But over in the UK, bitter beers aren’t intended to lace your mouth with ruinous amounts of hops. Instead, they provide a pleasant punch of bitterness balanced by bready, cracker-like malts. That’s Twisted Thistle, an IPA by Scotland’s Belhaven. This IPA offers a nice bouquet of Earthy, herbal hops and bitterness that is more than a match for chips and gravy or deep fried codfish, but those hops sit atop a nice, medium body laced with dry toast and baked bread. If you are not in a constant hunt for the next hop bomb, you’ll enjoy this approachable distraction from the American IPA norm. Look for it where Belhaven beers are tapped, such as at The Farmer’s Cabinet.